From woodcutter to forest ranger

Norbu, a former woodcutter from Lulang in Nyingchi prefecture, Tibet autonomous region, never imagined he would become a forest ranger and own an inn offering bed and breakfast to tourists.

His new life is a far cry from the hard times he and his family endured years ago. "In the 1980s, I earned my living by cutting wood, but timber was a dime a dozen at the time, so it wasn't easy to make money," the 54-year-old said.

Norbu, who like many Tibetans only has one name, said the wood mostly sold for about 30 yuan ($4.60) per cubic meter, although it could fetch 70 yuan per cu m when demand was high.